Field of Invention
______________________________________ Name: `Sumleta` Synonym: `Sonata` Breeders Reference Number `13N-6-59` Genus: Prunus Species: avium Type: Fruiting sweet cherry Market Use: Dessert quality cherry ______________________________________
This invention relates to cherry trees and particularly to a seedling cherry tree from a controlled cross made by Dr. W. David Lane of the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre Summerland cherry breeding program located at Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.
The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research facility at Summerland was established in 1914. Originally called the Dominion Experimental Farm at Summerland, the name was changed to the Summerland Research Station in 1959, the Summerland Research Centre in 1994 and to the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre (PARC) Summerland in 1996. The tree fruit breeding program was established in 1924 to provide new varieties for the tree fruit industry of British Columbia, Canada, and the world. The breeding program at Summerland has produced several tree fruit varieties including `Spartan` (unpatented), `Summerred` (unpatented), and `Sunrise` (unpatented), apples and `Van` (unpatented), `Lapins` (unpatented), and `Sweetheart` (unpatented) sweet cherries. The tree fruit breeders typically produce several thousand seedlings each year.
The three broad objectives of the cherry breeding program are: 1) to diversify the product to allow growers to take advantage of niche markets; 2) to improve environmental adaptation to major fruit growing areas, for consistent production of high quality fruit; 3) to reduce the cost of production. The varieties are evaluated for the following traits to insure that the objectives are met. Primary traits include: early onset of bearing, self-compatibility, extended ripening season, fruit size, fruit firmness, and resistance to cracking. Secondary traits include: disease resistance, winter hardiness, resistance to spring frosts, and compact tree growth habit.
Upon fruiting, the seedlings are evaluated for fruit and tree quality. Bloom and harvest indices, disease susceptibility and growth habit are evaluated in the field. Promising seedlings are re-propagated by budding or grafting onto rootstocks, and planted out as first selections in variety evaluation plots. The reproductions are evaluated for varietal stability, disease susceptibility, and fruit and tree quality. The most promising selections are re-propagated again and planted out in randomized evaluation plots complete with reference varieties (commercial varieties). Upon fruiting, selections are evaluated for varietal stability in the field, and for fruit quality, in "in-house" sensory evaluation panels. The new varieties are compared to reference varieties to establish uniqueness.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of cherry tree which was named `Sumleta` in 1995. The original cross was made in 1976 by breeder Dr. W. David Lane. The variety is the offspring of the seed parent `Lapins` and the pollen parent `2N-39-5` (unpatented) (a `Van`.times.`Stella` cross from the summerland program). The variety was planted out as a seedling and given the Breeders Reference Number `13N-6-59` in 1985.